79 Irwin Citation 34 Rudder Issue

[DBG8492]

Sorry that my first post is a question rather than an introduction...

I've owned this Citation 34 for a little over two years. Recently hauled her for a survey and found that the rudder moves freely from left to right. This is due to what appears to be loose screws/bolts in a bracket that holds the rudder to the keel. See the photo - red arrow.

So my questions:

How is this connected? What do the screws attach to? Is there a steel plate glassed inside that part of the keel where it attaches?

I've crawled around inside the aft lazarette and can't see where anything appears to show inside the hull - but I could have missed it I suppose... But it looks like keel to me, not hull.

Has anyone seen this, and if so, what's the fix?

 

[jssailem]

Your image is showing what is called a gudgeon. In your case it wraps around the skeg. I suspect the screws go through the skeg to the other side. In essence the gudgeon is through bolted to the rudder skeg.
The rudder post is the pinion. It goes through the gudgeon holding the rudder in place but letting it pivot.

If the through bolts are not solid and the gudgeon is moving then there is possible damage to the skeg. Can happen due to a grounding. Also old age. I doubt trying to tighten the bolts will do anything if the underlying material is damaged.

Inspection would look at the gudgeon and confirm the gudgeon is loose. Repair would involve removal of the rudder. Rebuild the skeg. Reinstall the gudgeon and rudder.

An advanced DIY task.

 

[DBG8492]

Your image is showing what is called a gudgeon. In your case it wraps around the skeg. I suspect the screws go through the skeg to the other side. In essence the gudgeon is through bolted to the rudder skeg.
The rudder post is the pinion. It goes through the gudgeon holding the rudder in place but letting it pivot.

If the through bolts are not solid and the gudgeon is moving then there is possible damage to the skeg. Can happen due to a grounding. Also old age. I doubt trying to tighten the bolts will do anything if the underlying material is damaged.

Inspection would look at the gudgeon and confirm the gudgeon is loose. Repair would involve removal of the rudder. Rebuild the skeg. Reinstall the gudgeon and rudder.

An advanced DIY task.

From what I've gathered after having now spoken to several other Irwin owners, you're correct.

According to all of them, the piece of the hull where the gudgeon strap mounts is solid fiberglass and what I thought were screws are through bolts.

Either the holes get wallowed out over time, or if SS bolts were used, they may have been deprived of oxygen and deteriorated inside the holes. If she were grounded, it was before I owned her - so IDK. I do know that my purchase survey didn't catch it so...

Need to haul her again and remove/inspect the bolts and holes to see what's going on. Others who have had this issue have filled the holes with resin and binder, re-drilled, and used silicon bronze through bolts instead of SS.

 

[jssailem]

I do know that my purchase survey didn't catch it

Yes that is a bummer. If the survey was ordered by you and is recent, you may have some recourse with the surveyor. That is something that a surveyor should check. If the survey was provided by a broker... then it was overlooked in the interest of getting the boat sold.

Yes if you love the boat you need to address it before you go any distance from the dock.

It certainly would not hurt to bring the issue up with the broker/owner about failure of full disclosure.

If you found it, it is reasonable to think that they knew about it or the possibility of the damage existence.

 

[DBG8492]

Yes that is a bummer. If the survey was ordered by you and is recent, you may have some recourse with the surveyor. That is something that a surveyor should check. If the survey was provided by a broker... then it was overlooked in the interest of getting the boat sold.

Yes if you love the boat you need to address it before you go any distance from the dock.

It certainly would not hurt to bring the issue up with the broker/owner about failure of full disclosure.

If you found it, it is reasonable to think that they knew about it or the possibility of the damage existence.

Unfortunately, the survey was done in late 2020, so it's probably a little too late to go raising Cain about it. The survey was ordered by me, but I ended up using one from the broker's "recommended list" because I couldn't find another who had the time to do it.

The surveyor last week said that the problem had to have existed for more than a few years - possibly as many as ten - but who knows?

And, of course, I love her and will be doing what's necessary to take care of her because she's sure as hell has taken care of me for the past two years.

 

[jssailem]

It is tough when you mistress need major work. Love is strange.